Opening batsmen Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss hit centuries but rain thwarted England as their three-day tour game against South Australia petered out in a draw at the Adelaide Oval.

Cook made an unbeaten 111 and Strauss slammed 102 off 121 balls to put the tourists in a position to declare their second innings at 240 for one early on the last day.

But the tourists, building up to the opening Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane on November 25, could only get 20.5 overs at South Australia before rain and bad light finished the match late in the day.

When stumps were drawn, South Australia were 48 for two with Dan Harris on 18 and Callum Ferguson not out 11 with 21 scheduled overs remaining.

Cook and Strauss posted the fourth-highest opening stand by an England side at the Adelaide Oval with 181 runs.

Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook hold the ground record with a best opening partnership of 240 in 1946/47.

Strauss attacked the local bowling with gusto in the morning session smashing 13 fours and four sixes and raising his century by lofting left-arm spinner Aaron O'Brien for six over mid-on.

His whirlwind century came off just 118 balls and he was out three balls later when he went for a big swing only to be bowled by O'Brien.

Cook brought up his century off 152 balls with a pull shot for four off medium pacer Tim Lang.

He finished with 18 fours and a six and was there with Jonathan Trott on 20 when Strauss made the declaration shortly before lunch.

But the entire middle session was rained off, effectively ending any chance England had of winning their second tour match after beating Western Australia by six wickets in Perth last weekend.

Paul Collingwood made amends for a dropped catch off Harris early in the South Australian second innings when he took a low catch at third slip to dismiss James Smith for nine off James Anderson.

Trott took a great diving catch to send Michael Klinger on his way for eight off Anderson in the 13th over. Anderson finished with two for 23 off eight overs.

England now travel to Hobart for a four-day match against Australia A starting on Wednesday, their final hit out before the first Test.